It has been said very little about this new process of trade negotiations in Latin America, this time with the European Union. And very little has been said about the similarities or differences with the failed Treaty of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the United States. If the FTA with the United States represented a threat to human rights, it must be assumed that the FTA with the European Union is immune from this danger?
Unfortunately, this assumption seems to have no foundation, since a brief analysis of the main proposals and the results of the First Table of Negotiation, held in Bogotà in September, warns us about the possibility that these negotiations are equal, or even harder than those failed with the United States
Although the European Union has introduced in its trade agreements with the developing countries, the so-called 'democratic clause', in other chapters of the proposal of FTA there are a few points that put in a vulnerable situation the rights of the inhabitants of the those countries. Just think about the introduction of so-called "Singapore Issues", which were excluded from the negotiations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) because they were considered harmful to national economies.
The project, co-funded by Isvara Foundation, aims to:
- Block the ratification of FTA in at least one national parliament and the European Parliament.
In addition:
- To strengthen the bi-regional alliances that include social movements and trade unions who are opposed to this trade agreement
- Open a debate in the national and European parliaments on the trade agreements launched by the EU under the European overall strategy.
- Promote investment policies that put people at the center of development, environment and human rights, in Europe as well as in the South of the world.
It has been said very little about this new process of trade negotiations in Latin America, this time with the European Union. And very little has been said about the similarities or differences with the failed Treaty of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the United States. If the FTA with the United States represented a threat to human rights, it must be assumed that the FTA with the European Union is immune from this danger?
Unfortunately, this assumption seems to have no foundation, since a brief analysis of the main proposals and the results of the First Table of Negotiation, held in Bogotà in September, warns us about the possibility that these negotiations are equal, or even harder than those failed with the United States.
Although the European Union has introduced in its trade agreements with the developing countries, the so-called 'democratic clause', in other chapters of the proposal of FTA there are a few points that put in a vulnerable situation the rights of the inhabitants of the those countries. Just think about the introduction of so-called "Singapore Issues", which were excluded from the negotiations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) because they were considered harmful to national economies.
The project, co-funded by Isvara Foundation, aims to:
- Block the ratification of FTA in at least one national parliament and the European Parliament.
In addition:
- To strengthen the bi-regional alliances that include social movements and trade unions who are opposed to this trade agreement
- Open a debate in the national and European parliaments on the trade agreements launched by the EU under the European overall strategy
- Promote investment policies that put people at the center of development, environment and human rights, in Europe as well as in the South of the world.